Once Upon A Time
by breathe.live.write
Summary: Fairytales don't exist- can't exist- in their world, but that won't stop them from trying.


**A/N: I've wanted to do a series of one-shots with fairy tale themes centered around different characters and pairings for some time now, and I finally managed to finish the first one. By the way, I couldn't leave extra spacing between some parts, so the pacing isn't as smooth or the pauses as effective as I intended. Still, enjoy! :)**

**love story**

Pairing(s)/Character(s): Sinead x Hamilton

Summary: Sinead has never been one for fairytales, but Hamilton might just change that. Very loosely based on 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift.

Note: Medusa Plot spoilers.

* * *

><p><em>We were both young when I first saw you<em>

_I close my eyes and the flashback starts_

"Ekat," a seven year old Hamilton hissed.

"Tomas," Sinead's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Know-it-all!"

"Dolt!"

"Geeky freckled-face!"

"Foul, corpulent pig!"

"Ner- wait, what does that mean?" Hamilton questioned, thrown off.

Sinead smiled in triumph.

"'Corpulent' means fat," she beamed.

"I am _not_ fat!" Hamilton pouted, his face reddening.

Sinead pursed her lip and cocked her head.

"What's your BMI?"

Hamilton paused.

"17, I think. Around there."

Sinead blinked. He knew what a BMI was! The last time she had asked someone her age that, they had just stared at her blankly. A grin flittered over her face, but remembering that she was losing an argument, it was quickly wiped off.

"Oh, fine. You're not fat, happy now?" Sinead huffed, crossing her arms and sitting on the ground.

Hamilton stared at her weirdly, unsure what to make of this strange Ekat girl. His daddy had told him that they were arrogant show-offs and to beat them up if he ever got the chance, but his mummy had told him never to hit girls, so he was at a complete loss of what to do.

Sinead didn't really look mean, though. She had been mean when she called him fat, but then she had said he wasn't. Utterly bewildered, Hamilton sat down next to her.

In fact, she didn't look mean at all, on closer inspection. Her eyes sparkled like the stars he had seen when he and his family had hiked up a hill in the countryside on time. The stars had twinkled and laughed, but not in a mean way like the kids at school had before he beat them up and they never dared to go near him again.

Sinead's eyes were just like those stars.

"You're pretty," Hamilton blurted, then promptly turned a bright shade of red. He hadn't meant to say that.

Sinead was also blushing furiously. She was, for once, tongue-tied. What was she supposed to say?

Her parents had told her never to communicate with a Tomas, but Hamilton didn't seem to be the dim-witted, feebleminded fool her parents claimed all Tomases were. Anyway, she had already broken the 'no-communication' rule.

"Uh… I mean, you aren't that ugly…?" Hamilton quickly amended.

Sinead peered at him. He didn't really look thickheaded.

"So are you," Sinead finally mustered, and the awkward atmosphere dissolved.

"So, why are you here?" Hamilton wondered aloud, furrowing his brows.

"Well… normally I would stay at home alone, but one of my experiments spontaneously combusted yesterday, so my mum sent me to this day care centre just for today while they salvage the lab," Sinead sulked, "which was silly, because I could have just stayed on to watch. My dad wanted to send me to someplace for more advanced individuals," Sinead stared disdainfully at the hordes of children squealing and running around the room, "but apparently I was underage."

"Oh," Hamilton nodded understandingly. Well, he didn't quite understand what 'spontaneously combusted' meant, but he assumed something went wrong.

"My parents are off doing a triathlon. My daddy wanted to leave me at a gym," Hamilton explained, "but the manager just laughed and my mummy dragged him away before he could punch him. I wanted to stay home and do some computer programming, but my parents thought I would be able to practise my taekwondo skills on the kids here."

"Wait, you do computer programming?" Sinead's eyes widened.

"Well, yeah. Why?"

"No way!" Sinead stared at him. "You're a Tomas!"

Hamilton straightened up defensively. "So what? You like to program computers too, don't you?"

Sinead stared at him incredulously.

"Of course! What kind of programming do you do?"

And they launched into an animated conversation about computers, software, firewalls and computer parts, among other things.

Sinead was actually enjoying herself.

It was stange, Sinead remarked inwardly. They had always sort of known each other from their families and respective branches, but had never spoken to each other. Sinead had always thought she already knew all there was to know about Hamilton, though, but talking to him now, she realised she hadn't really known him at all.

He was a computer genius! Like her! And he was actually smart!

The day was coming to an end, and suddenly Hamilton went silent. Sinead stared at him, a little alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

He hesitated.

"Are… are we friends?"

Sinead, a little surprised, considered it briefly.

"Well…" she said after a pause. "I guess so," she replied, trying to look casual.

But they were both beaming.

"Are we supposed to do something to like, seal our friendship or something?" Hamilton frowned. "I don't really have many friends."

Sinead smiled sympathetically, though there was empathy in it as well. She did have friends, but none of them really understood her.

"Well, now we're friends," Sinead said firmly, and Hamilton's face lit up.

"Do we do a pinky promise or something?" he grimaced. "I don't do pinky promises."

Sinead wrinkled her nose. "Pinky promises? How puerile."

Seeing Hamilton's flabbergasted look, she hastened to add, "it means childish."

They fell silent, contemplating.

"Maybe we should just swear to be friends?" Sinead piped up. "Like an oath of friendship."  
>"Okay," Hamilton agreed.<p>

"We solemnly swear to be friends from now on," Sinead crossed her hand over her heart somberly.

"Ditto," Hamilton grinned.

And that was how an Ekat and Tomas came to be friends.

* * *

><p>Sinead still remembered that day at the day care centre. It had been several years now, and things were certainly different. They both weren't foolish enough to speak together amicably if their families were around, which basically meant they never spoke to each other again, because they were hardly ever alone. And then the whole incident in the museum had happened, and even after he had apologized, Sinead wasn't sure if she ever wanted to speak to him again.<p>

Closing her eyes and inhaling, she walked out of the lab in the Cahill house, wanting to clear her mind and unwind. Her worry about Ted was eating her inside out. Usually she would conduct an experiment or invent something-anything- to calm herself, but today, she wanted to just not think for a while.

She walked out to the expansive lawn and felt the grass and fallen leaves crunch under her feet. It was autumn, and the leaves were all falling, whirling and dancing in the wind, leaving the trees bare.

Rubbing the area around her eyes and feeling the marks left behind by her goggles, a result of wearing them all the time, she lay down on the grass and took a deep breath of the autumn air, letting the rich smells, the soothing breeze- everything- overwhelm her senses. It was just magical.

She hadn't felt this relaxed in forever.

She heard the leaves being crushed under his feet before she heard him speak.

"Hey."

She sighed.

"What do you want?" she asked, but it came out more tired and soft than snappy.

"Came out for a walk and saw you here," Hamilton replied gruffly, sitting down next to where she lay. Her eyes were still closed- though now more shut tightly than relaxed-but she could hear the leaves rustling as he adjusted himself and feel his presence next to her.

"Go away," she whispered.

He froze for a moment.

When he didn't move, Sinead got up.

"Fine. If you don't go, I will," she spoke curtly.

She started off, and when she heard him call for her, she sped up. It was obvious she wasn't going to slow, so Hamilton started to chase after her.

Of course, he caught up to her and caught ahold of her wrist. Sinead struggled to evade his grip, but he just held on. Curse his Tomas genes.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Her temper flared. He still had the audacity to ask if she was okay! Did she look okay?

She whirled on him, furious.

"Of course I'm not okay! Ted's been kidnapped by Vespers, people who have absolutely not one sympathetic bone in their bodies, and I might never ever see him again! And you know what?" she paused for breath as his grip faltered, "if you and your family hadn't blown up that museum with us in it, maybe Ted would still be able to see! If you and your family hadn't ruined our lives, maybe he'd have been able to escape, and I wouldn't be like this right now!"

Tears blurring her vision, she ran off for a short distance before crumbling into a heap on the ground. She wrapped her arms around her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Hamilton was in a dilemma. He was_ not_ good with crying girls.

Unsurely, he walked over to where Sinead was and patted her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. When she didn't lash out at him, he sat down next to her and continued to comfort her.

"You know," he paused to gather his thoughts, "I'm worried about Reagan too."

Sinead looked up at him through her eyelashes, which glistened with tears.

Hamilton blinked. This was not the time to think about how pretty she looked. Not at all.

I'm sorry," he said again. "I really am."

He grimaced as guilt overwhelmed him.

"If I could turn back time, I would." He released a sigh. He regretted it everyday.

Sinead just leaned against him and cried into his shoulder, and he said nothing, simply sitting there, stroking her back.

After a while, Sinead's sobs subsided and finally came to a stop.

They sat there quietly, watching the leaves swirl in the autumn breeze.

"I'm sorry," she finally broke the silence. Hamilton looked taken aback, and his expression was so comical she managed a small smile, in spite of everything.

"Why are you sorry?"

Sinead looked down, her cheeks reddening. She was proud, and apologising did not come easily to her.

"I shouldn't have flared up at you just now," she said softly. "I forgot about Reagan."

Hamilton nodded. "It's okay. I know why you blamed me."

A comfortable silence ensued between them. Sinead observed the falling leaves and identified their various species, preoccupying her thoughts lest she return to more depressing ones.

"Do you remember that day at the day care centre?"

Sinead snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at Hamilton curiously. "Come again?"

Hamilton fidgeted, averting his eyes as he flushed.

"Uh, that day at the day care centre. Do you remember?"

Sinead raised her eyebrows and her smile. He remembered. "Yeah, I do."

"Does that oath still stand?" Hamilton half-joked.

Sinead pretended to contemplate this while hiding a smile.

After a minute, she spoke.

"Of course it does."

* * *

><p>"You like him!"<p>

"I do not!"

Amy smiled knowingly.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other. You can't fool me!"

Sinead rolled her eyes and grabbed a screwdriver, trying to hide her blush as she continued to rewire her computer.

"You like _Hamilton Holt_," Amy sang.

Sinead wondered when quiet and shy Amy became this obnoxious.

"Give me a break," she grumbled.

Amy laughed.

"You teased me about Evan too, you know," she grinned. "And look how that turned out."

"Go away!"

"You should tell him," she advised, and quickly dodged out of the way as Sinead threw a computer part at her.

"I'm serious," Amy told her, nearing again.

Sinead's shoulders sagged.

"I know."

"So what's stopping you?" Amy sat down next to her.

"No one would approve," Sinead sighed, looking down at her dismantled computer.

"I would," Amy gave her a hug. "Dan would, too, once he stopped complaining about the grossness of it all."

Sinead smiled in response.

"You really think I should?" she asked tentatively.

This was new- Sinead was _never _unsure about herself. Ever.

Amy nodded confidently.

"I know so."

* * *

><p>Sinead never really liked fairytales.<p>

When she was small, her bedtime reading comprised of encyclopedias and science journals. Of course she knew what fairytales were, but she had never actually read any of them. It wasn't until later that she read Cinderella and other fairytales, but still they never appealed to her.

Sinead was a romantic- really, she was. Her favourite film of all time was 'Around the World in 80 Days', which she adored for the heartwarming romance. But she was an Ekat, and she was logical and sensible. She didn't believe in magic or fairy godmothers. The only things she believed in would be technology and science.

Sinead had never liked how the princesses always ended up with the princes, who basically did nothing. The only prince she had liked was Prince Phillip from Aurora, who had actually proved himself worthy of Aurora's love. But in the end she hadn't liked Aurora all that much anyway, since all she did was sleep and wait to be rescued. At least the other princesses never gave up on their dreams. They knew what they wanted in life.

Sinead was _so _not a damsel in distress.

Sinead twirled the end of her ponytail and glared at the tubes and chemicals before her. She was trying to create a kind of antidote that would be able to cure both Ned and Ted for the millionth time. Ted was now back and they were both safe, but Sinead wanted to make sure nothing like the kidnapping would ever happen again. She was getting closer to the concoction of the antidote, but that wasn't saying much.

She sighed in frustration and wondered why she was thinking about fairytales while experimenting. She was definitely too stressed.

"Hey."

Sinead started, and the vial in her hand almost slipped out of her grasp.

"Hamilton!" she let out a sigh. "What did I tell you about disturbing me when I'm experimenting?"

Hamilton gave her an embarrassed grin.

"Sorry, just popped by to see how you were getting on with the antidote."

Sinead's eyes widened. "How'd you guess?"

Hamilton stared at her. "It's kind of obvious. It's all you've been doing ever since Ted came back."

"Right," Sinead blushed.

Hamilton cocked his head. "You were definitely deep in thought. What were you thinking about?"

Sinead blushed an even deeper shade of red that was almost maroon. This was so uncharacteristic of her.

"Fairytales, if you really want to know," Sinead sheepishly answered, biting her lip.

"Oh? What about them?"

Sinead paused.

"I'm not a big fan of fairytales, actually," she admitted, putting the vial back on the table. "I've never really liked the fact that all the princesses had to be 'saved' by a Prince Charming one way or another."

Hamilton paused.

"I'm not a fan of fairytales myself, but everyone needs saving," Hamilton looked at her seriously, his eyes boring into her. "You can try to do everything yourself, but there will be times when you need help. It's okay to let others save you."

Sinead wasn't too sure if this was just about fairytales anymore.

"They say that only you can save yourself. But sometimes you need someone else to show you the right path."

"I hope you'll save me if the need ever arises," Sinead said, the words slipping out of her mouth. She immediately widened her eyes and dug her nails into her palm, absolutely mortified. Where had that come from?

"I will," Hamilton said, gently and firmly at the same time.

Sinead's heart skipped a beat.

It was then that she decided that maybe she didn't mind fairytales at all, and maybe- just maybe- she had found her Prince Charming.

* * *

><p>"Sinead?"<p>

Sinead rolled up the sleeves of her lab coat and turned to face Hamilton, who stood in front of her by the door of her lab.

"I know you told me never to disturb you while you're working, but well…" Hamilton lowered his head slightly and looked up at her uncertainly, which for some reason made her heart thud erratically in her chest. They were good friends, and had spent a lot of time with each other lately, but this strange thudding never ceased.

"I have something to tell you," Hamilton muttered, and Sinead quickly shook away her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I think… Well…" Hamilton swallowed and shifted uncomfortably, closing his eyes. It was now or never. "I like you."

He opened his eyes to find Sinead frozen in front of him, unmoving as she blinked, her mouth gaping. She looked like she was in pain. Or suffering from indigestion. He fidgeted and continued to watch her, a sinking feeling in his chest.

Finally, she spoke.

"I… I… I'm s-sorry…"

Just like that, his hopes were dashed. He averted his gaze and stepped backwards, stumbling slightly in the process.

He was so stupid.

"It's- it's okay," he mustered, utterly crestfallen.

Then for the first time in his life, he fled.

Holts never fled, but then again, he never expected to fall for an Ekat, either.

* * *

><p>Sinead dropped onto her knees and sat on her legs, feeling weary.<p>

What had just happened?

She covered her face and leaned against the table, feeling drained.

"What happened?"

Sinead's head shot up. Ted was standing in front of her, his arms spread out as he tried to find her.

"Ted!"

"I think I heard Hamilton rushing out. That was him, right? What happened?"

Sinead started to cry.

Looking alarmed, Ted squatted down and reached out awkwardly until he grasped her shoulder. His shoulders sagged in something like relief at having found her as he wrapped an arm around her.

"He confessed to you, didn't he?"

Sinead was so startled she stopped crying.

"What? How did you…"

He just smiled and tapped his nose knowingly.

They sat there for a while, Sinead wiping her eyes and chewing on her lips fervently in order to stop them from flowing out again as Ted patted her reassuringly.

"You rejected him."

Sinead flinched.

"Why?" Ted persisted.

"The museum…" her voice faltered.

"Sinead, we both know you're just making excuses. Ned and I have forgiven him. It's quite apparent you have, too. He's changed."

"The branches…"

"…are no longer as prejudiced as they used to be," Ted finished. "It doesn't really matter anymore."

"It does to him," Sinead whispered.

Ted shook his head.

"No. Only to his father."

"His parents, then. Our parents."

Ted went still for a moment.

"His dad loves him. He wants him to be happy. Our parents… they won't be able to say anything."

Sinead stared at Ted tearfully. "You think so?"

He nodded firmly.

"I know so."

Sinead rested her head on her brother's shoulders, feeling relieved that for once, her brother was the one supporting her instead of the other way around. They were triplets. She wasn't supposed to be the elder sister who took care of them. They were equal.

"He's a good guy," Ted said quietly. "The past doesn't matter. Only the present does. Do you like him?"

Sinead hesitated, but they both already knew her answer.

"I think so. Yes."

"Go," he told her, and released her as she hugged him tightly and sped out of the room.

* * *

><p>It was raining outside.<p>

No, it was _pouring _outside.

But the rain was the least of Sinead's worries. Fear and desperation were the only things she could feel as she ran out, hoping against hope that she wouldn't be too late. That everything would be okay.

Where was Hamilton?

She spun around frantically, only vaguely aware of the fact that she was being soaked through. The rain was blurring her vision, and she made a mental note to invent something to solve that problem. But just as she was about to walk in the other direction, something caught her eye. She spun back around and squinted at a familiar silhouette sitting on the side of the street.

"Hamilton?" her voice, barely a whisper, was drowned out by the rain.

Slowly, he got up and started walking away. Her heartbeat increased and she frantically ran forward.

"Wait!" she screeched. "Stop!"

He stopped.

And then he turned around.

Sinead's footsteps gradually slowed as she neared him.

He _was _Hamilton.

"I like you," she cried. She wasn't sure why she was crying, but she just felt so lost and so afraid that she was at an utter loss as to what to do. She could no longer tell the difference between the pouring rain and her tears, but frankly, she didn't care.

"I like you," she said, her voice becoming softer, but they both heard it loud and clear, even over the sound of the rain crashing down to the sidewalk.

Hamilton stood there blankly, feeling utterly confused. But he felt hope rekindle within him, and suddenly, the rain wasn't all that cold anymore.

They stared at each other, the atmosphere crackling, but like a warm, cozy fire on a winter night. And suddenly, Sinead got it. She finally understood why girls liked fairytales so much.

Fine, this was about as far from a fairytale setting as it could get, she was absolutely soaked and so was Hamilton, but she didn't mind. All she really wanted right now was her happy-ever-after.

Hamilton walked closer.

"You're drenched," Hamilton finally broke the silence, smiling as he held up a lock of Sinead's hair that had escaped her ponytail.

"So are you," Sinead smiled. But it wavered slightly. "Do you still like me?"

The kiss he gave her was pretty much self-explanatory.

_You be the prince and I'll be the princess_

_It's a love story, baby just say yes_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, how was it? Did I manage to keep to the theme? :/**

**Now, I'm kind of stuck as to what to write for later chapters (other unrelated one-shots, but all with fairytale themes). I do have a few ideas, but they're mostly loosely based on songs related to fairytales. If you have an idea or a prompt you can think of, it would be great if you told me. It can be anything at all that is related to or reminds you of fairytales. Also, tell me if you have a pairing that you would like to see. I'll definitely credit you for the idea and dedicate the one-shot to you.**

**By the way, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review to tell me what you thought of this. :) **


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